CC Meats Team wins national championship
Ft. Worth police capture Altman
A Hall County man who eluded capture for three weeks after reportedly shooting the Memphis police chief is in jail this week after he was arrested in Fort Worth on Friday, October 25.
Seth Altman, age 33, was returned to Memphis on Tuesday and was being held in the Hall County Jail with bond set at $1 million.
Hall County Sheriff Tom Heck tonight released the following statement about Altman’s capture:
“On October 25, 2024, at approximately 5:03 p.m. the Hall County Sheriff’s Office received a hit confirmation request from the Fort Worth Police Department for Seth Altman. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the warrant for a charge of attempted capital murder of a peace officer. Seth Altman was taken into custody without incident by the Fort Worth Police Department.”
Altman was held in the Tarrant County Jail until he was transported to Memphis this week.
Donley County Sheriff Butch Blackburn said authorities were called about Altman’s location in Fort Worth after someone there recognized him from a wanted poster.
Altman is reported to have shot Police Chief Rex Plant on the night of October 3 and had been on the run since that time with some evidence that he crossed over into Donley County at one point while avoiding authorities.
Spookfest ’24 draws big crowd to downtown Clarendon
Spookfest ’24 was a big success Saturday evening as kids of all ages and their families converged on the 100 block of Kearney Street for trunk-or-treating and carnival games.
The event organized by the Mulkey Theatre and the Clarendon Chamber of Commerce featured 20 trunks and booths. The Chamber’s costume contest had 90 entries this year with winners in both individual and group/duo categories.
Individual costume winners were: first place, Tucker Putnam – Weatherman; second place, Jenna Hall – Cabbage Patch Doll; and third place, Paisley Jones – Ariel.
Group/Duo winners were: first place, the Lenz Family – Cop, Robbers, and Baby Money; second place, Monroe Newhouse and J.T. Shelton – Travis Kelce & Patrick Mahomes; and third place: Chris and Cortney Reuter – Buddy the Elf and Jovie.
After the fun on the street ended and the costume winners were announced, approximately 120 people stayed to enjoy the free movie, “Casper,” at the Mulkey courtesy of Robertson Funeral Directors. REFZ Sports Bar & Grill and Stocking Ice Cream Parlor were also busy during and after the event.
CC program transports relief to hurricane victims
The Clarendon College Pampa Center CDL team recently undertook a mission to deliver essential supplies to hurricane victims in North Carolina and Florida.
CDL Director Casey Upton collaborated with CC President Tex Buckhaults, who approved the plan. Working with organizations such as Rancher Navy, Biguns Hope Disaster Relief, the Pampa VFW, and local churches, the team gathered and transported two semi-trailer loads.
Upton, along with instructor Bill Tandy and students Diana Lopez, Omid Jafari, Kevenson Jean, and David Arreola, drove 2,600 miles across five states, gaining valuable experience. They picked up supplies in Pampa and headed to Miami, Okla., to pick up the rest of the supplies before heading to Milton, Florida, to drop off the supplies for Florida and North Carolina.
The students appreciated this opportunity to be able to help our neighbors and fellow Americans from other states.Courtesy Photo
Gold Star Winners
General and HISD tax elections early voting underway; Polls open this Saturday and Sunday
Early Voting began Monday and continues through November 1 in this year’s General Election – including voting for President – and the Hedley ISD Voter Approval Tax Rate Election.
Early balloting by personal appearance is being conducted at the Donley County Courthouse Annex from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday October 21-25; from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 26; from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 27; and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. October 28-November 1.
In addition to the presidential race, the US Senate race, and other state offices, citizens in the Hedley Independent School District will vote for or against a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election that would increase taxes by 12 cents per $100 valuation.
To learn more about the HIST tax vote, read our coverage here: https://www.clarendonlive.com/2024/10/hedley-isd-officials-explain-need-for-tax-election/
Hedley ISD officials explain need for tax election
A tax election question and answer meeting with Hedley school officials turned into an exclusive presentation to The Clarendon Enterprise when no members of the public showed up Monday evening.
Adminstrators and school board members said they hope the lack of interest in the informational meeting means the taxpayers are supportive of the school and simply aren’t concerned enough to ask questions.
Hedley ISD is asking voters to approve a higher than normally allowed tax rate to help the school compete on faculty and staff salaries and keep up with maintenance and safety issues. The Voter-Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE) will be held Tuesday, November 5, and early voting is underway now at the Donley County Courthouse Anenx.
Voters are being asked to approve a 12-cent increase in the school district’s ad valorem rate, which would bring it to $0.7892 per $100 valuation, and would bring in $257,394 more to the district.
Superintendent Tracey Bell says the added tax revenue will also help the school replenish its fund balance after it just paid about $400,000 out of pocket for a new roof. And she says that raising salaries and stipends is very important.
“We have a lot of young teachers right now, and we would like to retain them for years to come,” Bell said.
Bell said homesteads valued at $100,000 or less are exempt from school property taxes. A 12-cent increase would raise the Hedley school taxes on a $200,000 homestead by $120 per year.
HISD trustees said they have not had much feedback at all from the public about the proposed rate increase. Trustee Tangela Copelin said she has only had one person ask her what the money would be used for and the answer of paying teachers more and improving school safety seemed to satisfy the individual.
Trustee Shauna Herbert said for her the tax is a way to make sure the community can keep its school.
“We’ve got to give some raises, and we’ve got to spend some money on our physical plant,” Herbert said. “If we loose our little school, we’ll never get it back. Never.”
Hedley currently has 97 students enrolled in school.
“You just think of all the kids we’ve helped over the years,” Trustee Troy Monroe said. “These are kids that would have gotten lost. They can do everything here… play ball and do all the activities.”
Herbert also talked about the dedication of the Hedley staff.
“Our teachers are here because they want to be not because they have to be,” she said.
The fiscal year 2025 budget was approved by the board based on last year’s tax rate of $0.6692. If the tax election passes and the new rate of $0.7892 tax effect, trustees would approve a budget amendment after the first of the year to reflect the new revenue.
Bell says due to state compression of the school tax rate, the new rate would actually still be lower than six of the past seven years.
Bell said more information is available on the school’s website, https://www.hedleyisd.net/page/voter-approval-tax-ratification-election-vatre. A calculator on the site can help taxpayers figure what their added tax burden would be.
REFZ to celebrate first anniversary with street party
REFZ Sports Bar & Grill will celebrate its first anniversary Saturday, November 2, with a free Street Party.
Moon Dog of Amarillo will provide live music for people to listen or dance to, and both REFZ and Stocking Ice Cream Parlor will be open for business with their full menus. REFZ will also have outside beer sales, and the Mulkey Theatre will be open for concession sales as well.
Food Trucks will be on hand to help serve the crowd as well.
There is no admission charge. Everyone is encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, and no BYOB will be allowed for this event.
Those interested in table seating outside can reserve tables near the stage for $100 each that will include wait service.
Additional tables will be available for $50 without wait service. Proceeds from those tables will benefit the Mulkey Theatre.
To reserve a table or for more information, call the Visitor Center at 806-874-2421.
Spookfest ’24 to be held downtown October 26
Spookfest ‘24 will be a fun-filled evening of trunk-or-treating, games, food, movies, and more next Saturday, October 26 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
The Mulkey Theatre Trunk or Treat will start at 5 p.m. along with games and activities hosted by local organizations. Setup for these events will begin at 4:00, and those interested in have a trunk or activity must call the Visitor Center at 806-874-2421 by Friday, October 25, at noon to have a space reserved.
The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce will hold a costume contest during the event. Registration and judging will be at the Chamber booth in front of the Visitor Center from 5:00 to 6:00.
Following the activities, Robertson Funeral Directors will sponsor a free movie at the Mulkey. Casper the Friendly ghost will show at 7:00 p.m.
Trash service responds to Clarendon officials
Clarendon officials this week continue to work with Waste Connections to resolve issues with garbage collection in the city.
The city council responded to citizens’ complaints about trash not being picked up by meeting with its attorney on October 10 and then authorizing an attorney to write a demand letter to Waste Connections.
City Administrator Brian Barboza said Monday the sanitation company contacted him after they read the Enterprise’s online coverage of that meeting.
“I’m not sure the letter had even been sent yet,” Barboza said.
Waste Connections Amarillo District Manager Bobby Fira sent a letter to Barboza referencing the ClarendonLive.com article and stating that the company strives to maintain good service.
“We do acknowledge there have been some service issues over the last two months, and we want to apologize.” Fira says in the letter obtained by the Enterprise. “There have been some extenuating circumstances though. Our long-standing Clarendon driver retired from WCN on 8/16/2024 which required us to employ a new driver in the city. We have also experienced some truck issues with a very old truck that was primarily being used in Clarendon. We have worked vigorously to resolve these issues.”
Fira said going forward their driver will check in with the city daily to address missed stops, he will have a map to mark his progress in following the schedule, and the driver will have a camera system to record his stops.
Fira also asked for the city’s assistance in resolving issues with low-hanging wires in some areas of town.
“We value open communication with city officials and believe that working together transparently is the best approach to addressing any concerns,” Fira said.
“We would like to work this out amicably, with us immediately sharpening our service level to your standards and having a clear understanding of what your ultimate expectations are.”
Fira also said even though the company’s contract doesn’t expire until September 2025, they would be open to starting the request for proposals (RFP) process to “explore ways to retain this partnership.”
Barboza said he has also been contacted by another member of the Waste Connections staff and was told the company didn’t feel like it had been given a chance to respond to problems and was unaware of the complaints. He said the company is making some changes.
“We’re still getting some complaints [at City Hall] but not as much as before,” Barboza said. “We’re going to continue to work with Waste Connections to get these issues resolved.”
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